My friend is planning to go to work voluntarily for a month in Nepal in April. We then hope to meet up and spend three weeks exploring the country.

Can you suggest 'must see' places, including some off the beaten track.

This should be the trip of a lifetime and we would appreciate your guidance. Clare O' Hare, by email

Three weeks is just long enough to really explore Nepal. Spend the first week in the Kathmandu Valley, seeing the capital's colourful sights including atmospheric marketplaces, historic and well preserved Durbar Square and Pashupatinath temple - one of the subcontinent's most significant pilgrimage centres. Nearby Patan and Bhaktapur boast beautiful historic centres and temples.

Pokhara is very much on the beaten track but shouldn't be missed. The city is located in a peaceful lakeside setting and has a very relaxed atmosphere in which to enjoy the beautiful views. This a great place to unwind and charge your batteries for some serious activity. No visit to Nepal would be complete without doing some trekking. If you can spare a week walk the Jomson Trek, which starts close to Pokhara and is one of the country's most popular treks. If a long trek doesn't take your fancy there are many on - or two-day walks in the Pokhara area to give you a feel for the experience. The other essential place to visit is the Royal Chitwan National Park where if you're very lucky you may spot tigers and leopards - though rhinoceros and elephants are more common.

To get into less visited areas, think about a rafting expedition, longer treks or visiting the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve.

Next summer we - two females, both aged 21-want to spend four weeks travelling by train and bus from Vancouver to San Diego via Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles, staying mainly in youth hostels.

How should we divide our journey and what is the cheapest way to do it? Is it realistic to take in the Grand Canyon, and do we need to have a return air ticket to the UK, or can we book when we're ready?Emily Johnson, South Yorks

Save the Grand Canyon for another trip. It'll take at least two weeks to travel the 460 miles from San Diego to San Francisco. Head through Los Angeles, then either inland to Death Valley and the Sequoia and Yosemite national parks, or via the coastal wonders of Big Sur. Spend two or three days seeing San Francisco.

Next, go through northern California, Oregon and Washington state. Think about stopping in Portland, an excellent base for exploring the nearby volcanoes and gorges. Hop on from there to Seattle, a very cool city with outstanding nightlife. It is three and a half hours by bus from Vancouver, another beautiful city. Nearby Vancouver Island has excellent wildlife to see.

The cheapest and best way to get around is on Greyhound buses, which offer excellent value passes - details from www.greyhound.com. The occasional train ride (see www.amtrak.com for times and fares) might give a welcome change of pace.

You'll need a return air ticket when you enter the US, but you should be able to get an 'open-jaw' return ticket into San Diego and out of Vancouver. Be sure you can change the dates so you can be as flexible as possible.

Adriatic tour

My friend and I want to go to Venice in May for about two weeks, travelling by coach: she doesn't like long rail journeys and I don't enjoy flying.

After two days in Venice we go to Ravenna to see the mosaics. We return to Venice, and head for Croatia for two or three days. We go on to Slovenia and back to Venice.

Please help us plan this trip and recommend places to stay?Jean Webb, Hastings

By coach you face a gruelling 27-hour journey. National Express (08705 808080) has details. You should reconsider: the train is better for a long journey like this - you can walk around and sleep in a couchette.

Once in Italy, book hotels ahead. You should be able to arrange transport on arrival. Venice is a hard place to find good value places to stay, but Hotel Serenissima (00 39 041 520 0011) has twin rooms from £120 a night.

Ravenna is around three hours away by train. A catamaran ferry to Croatian ports on the Istrian Peninsula is run by Venezia Lines. Return fares to any destination from Venice start at £54.

Rovinj is an attractive port; Pula's Roman amphitheatre shouldn't be missed. You'll find many private rooms on offer in Croatian towns. It's easy to get around by bus. There are services from Rovinj to Ljubljana, Slovenia's capital.

Ljubljana is a fine base to see the country's highlights. Hotel Turist (00 386 1 2349 130) has twin rooms starting at £70. From there you can catch a train back to Venice.

Czeching out Prague trains

My wife and I go to Prague in August for our second holiday there. We are thinking of breaking our stay with a rail journey to Vienna for a few days and then returning to Prague. Should I buy the train tickets on the internet before I go or do it there? Is it worth going first class? Am I being too daring, considering we speak no Czech or German?Stephen Wilson, Wakefield

Regardless of your language skills, this is a straightforward journey of around five hours. The trains are comfortable so first class is not essential. Tickets booked in Prague are cheaper but it's best to book ahead for August. Trains-europe (0900 195 0101) can get tickets two months ahead. The rough cost is £72 second class plus a £25 fee.

An alternative is a budget flight to Prague. Try www.easyjet.co.uk for flights in and out of Vienna. Duo flies from Birmingham.

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